The Illegitimate Claim (30 page)

Andru pulled her close to him on his glider, and for a moment before taking off, he

wrapped his arms around her so tightly she could hardly breathe. He buried his face in

her hair and she could feel his breath on her neck. The man held her that way for a

moment and her insides tightened with…what did she feel for him? Anticipation? Fear?

She couldn’t tell.

“I want you, Meah,” he whispered hoarsely. “But I swear to Crator, if you’re

scheming against me, I’ll find out, and will personally see to your death.”

Great, now two men had threatened her life, both in less than an hour.

Once again, he escorted her through his house. She almost felt that she was learning

the layout, although she’d never been extended the courtesy of a tour. Without asking,

as they climbed the stairs to his room, she contacted Paleah to see how the children

were doing.

“I’m not accustomed to being away from them,” she offered when he gave her an

odd look.

Andru sat at his desk in his bedroom, and Meah paced, while the disc relayed the

conversation between Rog, Andru and Gilroy. Occasionally she would stop in mid-

stride, her jaw falling open. Then she would begin pacing again with more vigor. By the

end of the disc she was boiling over with anger.

“What is he trying to gain by saying all those things?” She slammed her tiny fist on

the desk where Andru sat.

“Are you denying all this, my lady?” Andru’s voice was calm, his expression

impossible to read.

“Parts of it are true,” she said with exasperation. “But the way he says them makes

them lies.”

“Pray tell, beautiful lady, what truths does he make lies?” Andru leaned back in his

chair, and she watched muscles flex as he crossed his arms.

“Oh Andru, we weren’t lovers. He did help me birth the twins. Tory was very large,

and he tore me coming out. I would have bled to death trying to get Tia out if Rog

hadn’t been there to help. But they never viewed him as their papa. We didn’t even see

him again until they almost had two winters. Of course, they know him well. He and I

worked together building the temple for the village he created.”

“Did you sleep with him?”

Meah stared at his blank face for a long minute. “And do you plan on sharing with

me all the women you’ve slept with while I was gone?”

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“That’s different.” Andru’s expression didn’t change, and Meah could tell he was

serious.

“How is it different?” She frowned at him.

“Because I don’t think you would have sex with a complete stranger.” He placed

his large hand over her smaller one that was still fisted on his desk. “I think you would

only make love with someone that you care about.”

“Well, then maybe you don’t know me as well as you think.” She yanked her hand

away and turned her back on him. “You don’t know that I’m telling you the truth, so

why would you know anything else about me?”

She heard him move behind her and then his virile body brushed against her

backside. Large hands gripped her shoulders then slid under her leather jacket until it

fell to the floor. She shivered when he traced lines down her arms with his fingers, and

a sigh escaped her lips.

“Did you sleep with him?”

Meah tensed when he took her arms firmly and turned her around to face him.

With one finger he lifted her head so he could see her eyes. Andru cupped her cheek

with his hand and she closed her eyes leaning her head against his calloused fingers.

“Answer me.”

She shook her head defiantly.

“Are you saying you can’t lie to me?”

She opened her eyes and felt the moisture in them. “I haven’t lied to you yet, and I

don’t plan on starting now.”

Meah didn’t take her eyes off his as he slowly lowered his mouth onto hers. His lips

burned hers with denied passion. She collapsed into him, and reveled in the feeling of

his iron chest flattening her breasts, as powerful arms pulled her closer to him. One

hand ran through her hair that fell free from its braid as the other hand stroked her

back. A groan escaped her lips when he grasped her rear end, and lifted her to her toes

before smashing her into his hardness. Her lips parted, and he traced her teeth with his

tongue before probing deeper. She found it hard to catch her breath when he finally

pulled his lips away from hers.

“Did Rog ever make you feel like that?”

“No.” And that was the truth.

Andru allowed his hands to lazily make trails along her back, working their way

toward her sides. Chills racked her body, and he looked down and smiled as her

nipples hardened through the sleeveless black Runner shirt she wore tucked into her

leather pants. Slowly, his fingers dragged up her stomach until they met the perky

points through her shirt. She sighed as lust consumed her. She was no longer the scared

girl who left him with life in her womb. No, Meah was a woman with wants and

needs…lustful needs that demanded satisfaction.

“Are you sure about that?” His voice was a husky whisper.

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“Yes, my lord.”

“Rog seems to want you back pretty badly.”

“I want you,” Meah whispered.

“Oh, and you’ll have me.” He cupped her breasts in his hands, and squeezed

gently. “I daresay I’m looking forward to seeing how you’ve learned to use this body of

yours.”

Meah’s hands went to his chest and she dragged her fingernails down to the top of

his pants.

“I don’t know that I’ve learned that much, but I want to learn,” she whispered, as

she went up on her toes and kissed him gently.

His chuckle was deep and low and it sent shivers through her. Primal lust swam in

his dark gray eyes. It sent a strange sort of excitement through her veins.

“I do believe I’ll enjoy those lessons, but I’m sure you’ll understand that discretion

will always have to be used.”

“Of course, my lord,” she whispered, not understanding what he was saying.

“I’ll set you up in a nice home, or you can live at the clan site if you wish.”

“Why won’t we live with you?” Meah let her head fall back as Andru nibbled on

her neck.

“My lady, I’ll have you as my mistress. Sharay will be my claim.”

“What?” she hissed, and backed away from him quickly. The lust in her eyes

disappeared, and instantly was replaced with fury. “If you claim Sharay, you’ll be

claiming a corpse.”

Andru appeared undaunted. “Certainly you understand the heir to Gothman can’t

have a claim with her lover attacking its borders. I daresay that would be scandalous.”

“He’s not my lover,” she screamed at him. Her chest rose and fell quickly as

outrage consumed her every thought. “You claimed me. There are witnesses.”

“Just try and find one.” He gave her a half-smile that would make any woman melt.

The only thing melting in Meah at that moment however was the molten lava of fury

that ravaged her completely. With a thrust as quick as lightning, she slammed her fist

directly upside his jawbone nearly knocking it out of its hinges.

“You lousy ass son of a bitch,” she hissed at the same time her knuckles connected

with his skin. “You’ll have none of me, that’s what you’ll have.”

“Come back here.” He shook the blow off quickly, and moved to capture her before

she could reach his door.

Her fury blinded her, and without indication she turned and kicked him hard in the

shin before throwing the door open and bolting toward the stairs.

“Gilroy!” Andru screamed as he hopped quickly after her. “Grab her!”

Meah wasn’t halfway down the stairs before Gilroy appeared in the entryway. Was

that man never more than a stone’s throw from Andru? Their eyes met, and Gilroy saw

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the consumed outrage of a wild animal. She stopped in her tracks and stared at him for

only a moment. His intense blue eyes met hers, and he took in her poised body, ready

to attack. Meah wasn’t wearing her leather jacket and the Runner undershirt spread

tightly across her petite frame and large breasts.

She took advantage of his distracted gaze, and leapt over the side of the banister.

Gilroy lunged at her, and she rolled right underneath his grasp, before darting past him

into the throne room. Her memory of the place was vague, but she just walked this way

with Andru, and for some reason her always alert senses made her memorize the route

they’d taken, when they entered the house. She didn’t hesitate as she bolted through the

doors on the other side of the room, into the dining room and then back toward the

kitchen.

There would be an ample amount of guards in the backyard, and anticipating that

fact she pulled her laser. She didn’t see Fulga in the kitchen until the housekeeper

screamed and dropped a glass she held in her hand. Meah jumped at the sound of the

glass shattering, but regained her senses quickly when she heard Andru and Gilroy

yelling behind her.

“Catch her, man,” she heard Andru yell. “Don’t let her get away.”

“What’s going on?” The threatening bark of Lord Darius coming from somewhere

quite close brought bile to Meah’s throat.

Crator must have given her wings at that moment. She literally flew out the back

door, nearly sending the wooden frame off its hinges. Several startled Gothman

standing in the backyard turned to face her, and there was no hesitation when she shot

at two of them before darting faster than her petite structure usually managed. She

leaped aboard the closest glider just as Andru and Gilroy stormed out the back door.

“Woman, don’t you dare try and leave.” Andru’s tone was enough to chill her

blood.

There was no way she’d hang around to experience that wrath. She spun the glider

around and took off in the opposite direction. Gilroy caught up with her just as she left

the ground. She almost lost control of the glider altogether when she yanked it to the

side to avoid him jumping on it.

“We’ll get some scouts on her right away, my lord,” Gilroy said, as he hurried back